Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Darn It.

In about five minutes, I'm gonna turn this computer off and go to bed and sleep. I don't care if I have to finish a poster paper for ENG 10 before 10:00AM tomorrow. No, actually, I care because it's gonna be graded, but I really am not in the mood right now to do it. I can't really say "finish it" because I haven't even started on that dang thing. I'm too sleepy to do so anyway. Let's all hope that I wake up before 6 o'clock tomorrow so I could cram with the poster paper. Ciao.

Gulp.

We've no classes tomorrow, thank God. It would be nice if I could spend the whole day tomorrow just bumming around and sipping Minute Maid's Orange Juice with its real Pulpy Goodness while basking in all my air-conditioning unit's glory. Imagine 24 whole hours spent lavishly without even having to think of anything and anyone else but yourself (insert long sigh of relief here).

A guy can dream right?


I've so much things to do, I don't even know where to start. Help.

Monday, September 29, 2008

On Blessings, Will, and Prayers.

Exactly twenty-four hours ago, I arrived home with overflowing excitement. I'm still in awe with what had transpired just yesterday, even more so with the surprise call we received last week.

Confused? Read on.

As some of you might already know, the Clan was chosen to be one of the wild card entries in the upcoming finals of World Supremacy Battlegrounds - Philippines. We were surprised and puzzled at the same time, because we're perfectly aware that although we did our best that elimination night, our routine really lacked "something". Quite a few had the dilemma whether to push through or not. I for one did. But it all came down to the fact that us being chosen is His will. To quote Ma'am J.Lu; "It is His Will na kayo ang maunang mag-perform. It is His Will na hindi kayo makapasok sa Top 15. At naniniwala ako na it is His Will also na kayo ay napili para sa wild card". Thank You, Lord for the blessing.

The Clan's Competing Team going to Cuneta Astrodome is a big thing already , considering that the Compet Team is relatively young (re: 6 out of the 11 competing members are new to the team), but we all wanted to go through to the finals of Skechers Street Dance Battle Year 4. I know I very much wanted this. We all did. And man, did we work hard to prepare for our elimination leg. From eleven, we became ten, because Joie had to prioritize her upcoming play/production, after all, it's one of her major subjects this term. All ten of us, plus our choreographers, all sat down and talked about what the routine lacked. We took every single criticism and from there, we worked again. We re-blocked, re-defined, and upped our routine. We practiced till Kuya Ade closed Baker Hall down. We even practiced till 3am two days before the competition. We were all tired. But we were more excited and driven. Because at that point, we were not only doing this for ourselves, but also for Ma'am J.Lu, the other members of the competing team, our junior members, for UPLB, and most especially for Him.

Come the day of the Skechers elimination leg, excitement filled the our souls. We arrived in SM San Lazaro without even thinking of the competition that'll take place. I guess it's safe to say that we were there to perform and showcase His blessings, rather than compete. Of course jitters came when we saw friends from other schools as all of them are very talented. We prayed, and decided to just enjoy the afternoon. The competition started and man, LSDC-Street opened the show with a bang! After several performances, Sir Jeff called us up and motioned us to go backstage to prepare. We didn't have time to have another run of the routine, instead, we used our time to pray, and pray, and pray. We were praying, and crying, and hugging each other like we'll be performing our last routine. From that moment on, it was all up to Him.

We all felt awesome after the performance. Sure we had several mistakes, but we couldn't care less. The fact that we brought our game and enjoyed our four minutes is enough to make us feel like winners already. When we got off the stage, we huddled and prayed, and cried, and prayed, and prayed. We were just so thankful and overwhelmed with the whole experience. We couldn't care less about getting through to the final round.

Nakulitan si Lord sa'tin eh. Haha. UE placed 3rd. We placed 2nd, and LSDC-Street bagged the 1st place. The sort of quiet UPLB crowd roared when JC announced that we got the 2nd place spot. We jumped out of our seats and rushed to the stage! And yes, we were jumping up and down! Haha. I knew in my heart that LSDC-Street will top the elimination leg. Not only are they talented individuals, they're inspiring and modest people too. Congratulations, LSDC-Street for a well deserved victory!

Exactly twenty-four hours ago, I was sitting on my computer chair crying over what happened. Exactly twenty-four hours ago, I started praying and thanking Him for everything. And I don't intend to stop :)

This whole experienced further strengthened my belief in prayers. It's not enough that you pray, you also have to work hard, I know. But it's much, much better if we're working hard because we want to be able to give back to Him, for all the blessings He has graciously showered upon us.

UPLB Street Jazz Dance Co., we're such a blessed group. It is only rightful the we give back. I love you, guys. God Bless us all :)

Trivia: The Competing Team for WSB and Skechers is very iyakin. Haha.

Friday, September 26, 2008

World Supremacy Battlegrounds - Philippines

The very competition that gave rise to the much-acclaimed dance groups Philippine All Stars and Xstatic Crew will stage its Finals this coming October 11, 2008, at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Feast your senses on more than 20 dance crews from all over the country, all vying for the much coveted championship title.

Come and support the UPLB Street Jazz Dance Co., as well as the other teams. Holler to LB's REVAMPED and Kabataang ELBI, and also to UNITED 101!

Good luck and God Bless us all!

Skechers Street Dance Battle Year 4 1st Elimination Leg (College Division)

Come and support the UPLB Street Jazz Dance Co.as we battle it out with other collegiate teams for a slot in the finals of Skechers Street Dance Battle Year 4.

Expect nothing but awesome and breath-taking hip-hop routines only from the best dance groups in NCR and nearby provinces. See you there!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

It's Amazing How I Survived My Wednesday.

I barely listened to my first two classes, thanks to a very timely insomnia attack which made my eyes all heavy and my head all droopy. I hope my professors didn't notice my bobbing head. Fingers crossed.

I almost wasn't able to take my 9:00am Botany110 exam. To much of my surprise, the Institute of Biological Sciences suddenly re-imposed the "No ID, No Entry" rule. Good thing I know my way through IBS and made sure I didn't bump into one of those grumpy "lady guards" lurking in the building's entrances. It's quite a good thing actually, this rule, I was just surprised and wasn't prepared. Tss. Now I really have to buy one of those plastic ID cases/protector. Oh another good thing about it? I can wear my Pilipinas lace all the time now. Hoho.

After breezing through the exam (come on, halos wala na akong maisagot), I went home to get some well-deserved sleep. FYI: I have a 9:00am-3:00pm vacant period every Wednesday, it just so happens that the pesky exam was scheduled at 9:00am-10:00am.

I had one of the most enjoyable siestas ever, and caused me to arrive 10 minutes late for my 3:00pm class. Good thing the only thing I missed is the teacher/instructor/professor evaluation. Sayang. Sana naka-bawi na 'ko sa prof. ko.Kidding.

As usual, I went to Baker Hall after my class and left my brain inside my duffel bag upon arrival. Haha. I always look forward to afternoons (sometimes even till the wee hours) spent without having to think about things related to the academe. The competing team's in a better shape now. We're more driven and more serious about rehearsals. I think. Haha. We've like, 2 nights to finish up the routine and make sure that it's as close to perfection as possible. No pressure. Haha. I know we can do it, right guys? Hoo. Excited. Haha.

I came home late, for the second time this week. I spent dinner time again with some of the Clan's members. As usual, enjoy. As usual, Iziz. As usual. Haha. Wait till we finish the "tutting" routine Ate Joys choreographed for us. Haha. Even Louie got hooked! Haha. Iba ka talaga, Kristine Kreuk-ed.

Amph. This turned out to be one of those "blog about my day" entries which I almost always avoid. Haha. Oh well, this is so much better than posting another one of my emo entries, right? Haha.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Think. And then, think again.


So how's it been lately huh? Last week was a whirlwind experience, both academically, and Street Jazz-ically (Belison, 2008). See, I'm actually learning things from my ENG 10 pala no? Haha. Nevermind the acads, I've been wanting to blog about the recently concluded WSB Groove Manila since yesterday eh.

We were excited, stoked and all, because we got to perform and compete alongside 36 other dance crews from Luzon for the very much coveted top 15 slots for World Battlegrounds Supremacy. The competition was held last Saturday night at the Teatro Marikina, in, err, Marikina City. You could just imagine how much we prepared for that compet. I said imagine, right? We did our best that night, but to no avail. We were out-danced by other groups, and no, going first ain't the problem. The competing team wasn't a team, really. I am quite disappointed because we were never complete for rehearsals. And I believe that cost us a lot. I heard it from other people too. Sure the routine was malinis, and that we were conformed. But we didn't dance as one. As Ate Joys put it, walang harmony. We weren't even interacting the whole 5 minutes of the routine. I think it all boils down to the lack of time spent together, not only in rehearsals but also with time outside trainings. The team I came to know during the past three years was tight. I have yet to experience that tightness from the new set of competing team members.

This Sunday, we'll be in SM San Lazaro for the elimination leg of Skechers Street Dance Battle Year 4. I hope by that time things work out for the team. I know we all want this. I know we want to get a spot in the finals. But the question in my mind right now is, do we deserve it? Because if we continue on being like this, no harmony and all, then, harsh as it may sound, we don't deserve to be be chosen as one of the finalists. We're not a team for nothing, y'all.

I'm not even sure if any of you could read this, as none of you know this blog site. Haha. Let's help each other out. Let's do this, not for ourselves, but for the group we've come to love, for Ma'am J.Lu who believes in us, for the other members of the Clan, and most especially for Him, whom we owe these talents to.

And that ends my sort of ranting for tonight. For tonight. Get ready for more doses in the coming days. Or hours. Whatever.


Thursday, September 18, 2008

Fuck.

Fuck. Let me say it again. Okay, maybe I won't. I'm stressed and burnt out. And by the looks of it, I wouldn't be having a decent break, not until the end of this disastrous semester. Three weeks. Three more effin' weeks to go till it all ends. In three weeks, I'll be able to sleep as early/late as I want, and wake up when I want (or until my mom pushes me out of my bed). In three weeks, I won't be thinking of formulas, metabolic pathways, species, genera, and such. In three weeks. In three weeks.

For the meantime, I have to gather up my thoughts and muster up enough drive to finish this research proposal for ENG 10, due 2:00pm tomorrow. It's safe to say that ENG 10 is the most enjoyable subject I have this semester. Firstly because it deals with English, and I don't care if it's scientific writing, just as long as it's writing. Secondly, because I was blessed with a very good professor and awesome classmates. The only thing I don't like about the course (in elbi, our subjects are called courses, by the way) is the scheduled lecture sessions. An awesome 7:00AM lecture class every Tuesdays and Thursday. I got used to it, eventually. What, with several instances when I came in late. Haha. It's all good though. I'm gonna miss ENG 10. Sigh. If only my family would believe that I could make decent money with writing. They believe that only good writers get decent sums. So you think I'm not good eh? ASA. I know I'm good. Haha.

Anyway, the Clan's Competing Team will be in Teatro Marikina this coming Saturday, September 20, 2008. Hip-hop mode: ON. We gon'be joining Battlegrounds Supremacy: Groove Manila, the very contest that gave rise to the much-acclaimed (and my personal heroes) Philippine All-Stars and Xtatic Crew. There'll be a total of 40 dance crews that'll be competing on Saturday's elimination leg. I don't have word yet as to how many groups will be chosen for the Grand Finals on November 23, 2008, which will be held in the Cuneta Astrodome. The team's routine is finished, we actually performed it yesterday for an event here in UPLB, but we're still thinking of ways to "up" its level. I'm proud of the choreographer's for this competition set. Awesome job, guys! Ang hirap ha! Haha. Guys, if ever you do have the time, and 150php to spend for the ticket, please come and support all the groups that'll be there. It's gonna be a long and wild and groovy night, that's fo sho! Hip-hop mode: OFF.

Shoot, I can't believe I actually have enough reference materials for my paper already. Don't you just love the world wide web? I'm sleepy now, I can't sleep though. I'm here in Blitz Wave Cafe, waiting for GMak. We're gonna hang till 5:50pm. We've got a performance later nga pala for College of Human Ecology's ECOJAM.

Okay, I've ran out of words to say. Haha. Till next time.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Today, I'm No One.

There are days when I feel good and do good. For crying out loud I even look good. These are the times when I feel like everything's falling into place. It's as if everything I've ever wanted is already within my reach. Like I've no right, and no intention to complain with what's going on, what I'm being told, and what I'm being asked to do. I act as if I'm friends with everybody. I smile,. I laugh. These days, I am contented.

There are days when I feel like a rebel. No, a free spirit. Like I want to do everything and anything my heart wants. Even if that means defying and crossing other people. Friends? Yeah.
I get drunk. I smoke till I can't breath anymore. I spend so much money like I own a bank. I flirt. I sleep with women I've not known for more than a day. Funny, because on these days, I do not know of consideration. I go about everything in my life without minding others. These days, I care about no one, except for me and how to gratify myself. These are the days when I consider myself selfish.


And then there are days like this one. Wherein I'm not good, and also not bad. This is when I'm no one. I am no one, and have nothing to do but think of all the days I've spent, how I spent them, and pondering on what tomorrow will be like, and how I'm gonna face it.


Disclaimer: This entry is a form of counter-boredom in Bot110 class. The question is, are the things written above real or not? You be the judge.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

What I do Best.

Can you guess what I do when professors scurry away to go to some emergency meeting or to the comfort room? I "bond" with my cameraphone's, err, camera. Haha.

The above pictures were taken last Monday, during Botany 110 laboratory class. See, I make a very good (looking) scientist no? Haha.

This post is merely for the sake of updating risky reads. Haha. Enjoy! (Or should I say, bear with it?)